Adventure bikes

[Ian]

This was my bonkers 990 supermoto (on the left!)

[Ian]

This is what the 990 supermoto could do to a set of tyres on a good day

[Ian]

Finally, this was my first beemer (on the left)

 

[Ian]

Apologies for the poor photo quality, I need to work out a better way of posting

[Scud]

Wow, Ian... You've had some great, dirty motorcycles. Well done. The KTM 990 is such good motor, although nobody needs a 100hp dirt bike, although, that's exactly what makes it so great.

[LowRyter]

KTM built a Touring version called the 990 SM T

 

I saw one at the Paonia rally last year and it seems like a pretty nice machine.  

 

[Ian]

Yup, I’ve taken an SMT out while my SM was in for a service. Basically the same bike but with a beak, road suspension and ABS.

 

The ABS is a must have on these bikes. The brembo front stoppers are incredibly fierce and unless the front is properly planted (front forks compressed) they lock the front in the blink of an eye.

 

How do I know this? Well I actually owned two 990SMs and crashed both of them by losing the front because I hadn’t got the weight transferred all the way forward before grabbing a real handful. The last time left me unconscious in the middle of the road as I’d hit the ground so hard.

 

An awesome bike, but one that needs some respect

[LowRyter]

sounds like grabby brakes.  I wonder if less aggressive pads would've helped?  Now I know why they have ABS.  My Sport has is a little too aggressive on the rear. Sometimes I have to be careful.

[Scud]

I rented a BMW 310 GS in Weisbaden, Germany this morning and had a 350km adventure to the 800 year old Fleckenstein Castle in France. Everything from autobahn to two-track dirt roads... and some fabulous, scenic backroads. 

 

 

Good fun, although a guy on a 1200GS (at a coffee stop) pointed out that the 310 is made in India and intended for female riders. I resisted the urge to point out that my 310GS had quite a bit of mud on it and his 1200GS was spotless. 

[bbolesaz]

Scud, if you would take the time to do a review of the 310GS, I would appreciate it.  As I get older and heavier, I'm looking for my adventure bikes to become newer and lighter.  Can it run 80MPH down a highway comfortably?

[Chuck]

So.. Mine's bigger than yours isn't just a 'Merican phenomenon? :0

[Scud]

I'll have it for a week while I'm working here in Weisbaden (today was a no-work day). My max speed on it was 145kph indicated (about 90mph). I ran it at a sustained 130kph (80mph), which is the slow lane on the Autobahn, for about 75 kilometers. I saw two Moto Guzzis today, both cruiser-style.

 

Compared to my Husqvarna 701... the BMW has less than half the power with 50 additional pounds.  I bottomed the suspension on a couple ruts on a dirt road that the Husky would barely have felt. But it's a fun bike to ride - comfortable, smooth, good handling, acceptable dirt road manners. 

 

The ABS is switchable on the bars. Other than that, it's a very simple bike and I hope they sell a shed-load of them.

 

I get the sense that maybe some Germans feel about this "foreign made" BMW about how some Americans would feel if a Harley were manufactured in Mexico.

[Unkept]

Hope you're having a great time in Germany Scud! We've swapped places... last year I was living in Germany in April. 

 

I'll keep an eye on the USA while you're gone!

 

-Joe

[Ian]

Scud, I am soooooooooooooo jealous. Temporarily living in the US one of the things I really miss is riding bikes in mainland Europe

 

Have fun

[Rox Lemans]

I just spent the day in Death Valley with my CTX ( sorry, one of the Guzzis would of rattled me to death) and all I could think was I wish I had an ADV... I think a KLR with a safari tank is in my future.. I know it ain't the best but it'll do the job..